


Reverence

by GrannyBoo



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Aftercare, Anal Sex, Body Worship, Creampie, Dirty Talk, Enthusiastic Consent, Insecurity, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Mid sex negotiation, Overstimulation, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, Rimming, Sexual Content, bareback
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 07:20:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23847343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrannyBoo/pseuds/GrannyBoo
Summary: Zack tried his hardest to make Cloud feel worthy.Not to say he himself thought Cloud wasn’t, gods no; if he could manage to wrangle the blonde ball of insecurity onto a pedestal so Zack could treat him like the otherworldly god he deserved to be treated as, he would do it in a heartbeat.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 25
Kudos: 539





	Reverence

**Author's Note:**

> Look, any and all of my fics will take place in the nebulous space of 'post crisis core- pre VII proper but in a world where Zack never died' because canon committed treason by murdering this sweet Gongagan boy and not letting these two idiots go on and be mercenary boyfriends together. None of that underage shit from in Shinra and no buried gays, Grandma has spoken.

Zack tried his hardest to make Cloud feel worthy.

Not to say he himself thought Cloud wasn’t, gods no; if he could manage to wrangle the blonde ball of insecurity onto a pedestal so Zack could treat him like the otherworldly god he deserved to be treated as, he would do it in a heartbeat.

No, Cloud’s own worst critic is himself. Quick to assume fault, to throw himself under the proverbial bus for things that don’t even need a scapegoat, finding endless ways to self-criticise and self deprecate no matter how much he had to dig to find a problem. And one of the top contenders for Things That Zack Can’t Ever Understand About Cloud’s Self-Image is that he thinks Zack is _out of his league_. Like Cloud isn’t an ethereally gorgeous manifestation of sunlight incarnate and he isn’t worth Zack’s time.

So Zack takes it upon himself to correct this grave injustice.

With every bit of praise he can string together and press to Cloud’s skin like he is now, his lips curling into a smile as he feels the goosebumps on the younger man’s skin while he trails his hands up and down the length of Cloud’s arms, his waist, his hips – savouring every moment and every _inch_ of it.

“Zack. What’re you doing?” His tone is only a little frustrated (something Zack looks forward to changing very soon) as he props himself up on his elbows and looks down at the dark haired man, fingers dragging over where Zack’s are resting on his waist, soft and fleeting as an afterthought.

“’M enjoying myself. Never get enough time with you like this,” he laments against the flesh of Cloud’s belly, lips grazing the edge of his underwear before he nips at it with a playfully disgruntled growl.

“We- … _spent time together_ last night too,” the blonde points out with a light flush to his cheeks, eyes never leaving Zack and its with no small amount of satisfaction that Zack notices how hard his fingers are digging into the sheets at the teasing.

“I could keep you here-“ he gives Cloud’s hips a gentle squeeze while his eyes dart up to meet Cloud’s, enjoying the slightly hazy lust blown quality to them, “for a hundred years and it still wouldn't be enough time. Can’t blame a guy for taking advantage when someone so perfect’s spending their time on him,” he adds, taking his sweet time dragging Cloud’s boxer-briefs down, allowing himself the pleasure of dragging his fingertips down the firm expanse of his thighs before throwing the article of clothing across the room where it can’t bother them.

“Don’t-“

Cloud bites his tongue but it doesn’t stop Zack from pausing, peering up at his lover with an earnest expression.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

He worries at his lip, eyes downcast and fingers adjusting their grip on the dark sheets of their bed while he tries to find his words. He presses his calf into Zack’s still-clothed hip, seeking comfort from him which helps reassure Zack that nothing’s quite so bad if he’s not pulling away like he does when something’s really wrong.

“’M not… _perfect_ ,” its barely a whisper, hovering between them in the quiet of their room. He says the word like an obscenity, as though he’s like to be reprimanded for it even being _hinted_ at being used to describe him. Zack’s expression shifts into a smile, a steadily dawning warmth like the sun drifting up from the horizon.

“Oh, sweetheart- darling- _sunshine_ ,” he utters, crawling his way back up to straddle Cloud’s hips, fingers burying themselves in the soft mess of his boyfriend’s hair as he cups the younger man’s face. “You are _perfect_ \- so perfect. You’re kind, and brave, and _gorgeous_ , and _strong_ -“ he presses his lips to Cloud’s skin in a brief kiss with every compliment until Cloud starts squirming in his grasp, not quite pulling himself from Zack’s grasp but obviously struggling with indecision between that and curling further into him to escape the intense embarrassment the praise brings out in him.

“ _Zack-_ “ it’s a whine, a plea that Zack holds as the exception to his rule of ‘What Cloud Says Goes’ in their relationship. No way on this planet or any other will he accept this sort of thinking that borders on _sacrilege_ in his mind.

“Uh uh, I know you get all shy and modest out in the world, but in here,” he murmurs, bringing Cloud’s eyes to meet his, “I’m gonna call you what you are. And that, is ‘my perfect Cloud’,” Zack smiles wide and presses one last kiss to Cloud’s lips, a brief peck that becomes the straw that broke the camel’s back; Cloud’s arms wrap around his waist and his blush-warm face buries itself in his shoulder as the younger man lets out a massive gust of breath, trying to dispel the tension of embarrassment in his chest.

“Why are you like this?” Cloud grumbles against the bare flesh of Zack’s shoulder and the ex-soldier chuckles while he trails his fingers up and down the curve of Cloud’s spine.

“’Cause you’re amazing. And I’m stubborn. And no one’s allowed to talk shit about my boyfriend while I’m around. Not even you. Now,” he tacks on with a messy, smacking kiss to Cloud’s shoulder before he pulls back just enough to press his hand to Cloud’s chest and push him to lay back down against the pillows at the head of the bed, voice low and husky as he utters against Cloud’s lips- “If you’re okay, I’d like to make my _perfect_ boyfriend come so hard he blacks out.”

Cloud lets out another huff, a startled little thing, before he nods jerkily, hands gripping onto Zack’s waist.

“You just lay back and lemme take care of you,” then Zack is trailing down Cloud’s body, shivering a little as the younger man’s nails graze pleasantly against his ribs before his hands drop to the bed and he just watches; blue eyes alight with want and something resembling awe that normally hovers in the background of Cloud’s expression when he looks at him. And its something that Zack isn’t sure how to unpack quite yet, even after all these years.

The blonde is already half-hard as Zack makes his way down to press feather light kisses to the dip where Cloud’s hips meet his thighs, gently adjusting him so his legs are draped over Zack’s shoulders and Zack is lying on his belly, cock pressed into the bedding. But that low thrumming pleasure is pushed to the back of his mind as he focuses on dragging his tongue over the flesh between Cloud’s legs, teasing light flicks of his tongue further down while his hands work at the firm muscles of Cloud’s ass.

“How does anyone as amazing as you even _exist_ ,” Zack murmurs against Cloud’s thigh, scraping his teeth against it in a way that has Cloud gasping quietly. “I’m gonna worship you like you deserve, Cloud,” he adds, meeting his boyfriend’s gaze, something sincere and intense behind his words and eyes that makes the younger man have to look away, arms draping over his face to, unsuccessfully, hide the vivid red in his cheeks.

The noise Cloud makes when Zack’s tongue grazes over Cloud’s hole, not quite pressing, but the implication, it seems, is enough to make the blonde’s legs tighten around his head and a sharp noise escape his lips.

“Careful of those legs, sweet thing. Could break a man’s neck with ‘em,” he teases.

“So you put yourself between them on purpose?” Cloud snarks back breathlessly.

“What can I say,” Zack drags his tongue over the flesh again while his hands grip onto Cloud’s thighs and drag him down the bed just a little to press his face in closer. “Danger’s a bit of a kink of mine,” he purrs before devoting himself wholeheartedly to pinning Cloud against him and eating him out.

The noises that escape Cloud are nothing short of pornographic; gasps ripped from his throat, whimpers and cries that pierce through the wet sounds of Zack’s ministrations. The best of all of them is the choked words that splinter to pieces as soon as they escape Cloud’s lips.

“ _Zack-_ I-I, _oh_ -“ his back arches beautifully when Zack slips one hand away from its post on the curve of Cloud’s hip and joins his tongue in stretching Cloud open for him. “Za-Zack. _Oh fuck-“_ and if that doesn’t have the man’s cock hard as nails then the quick upwards glance to see Cloud’s face, screwed up in delicious agony while his hands do their damnedest to crack the headboard from pressure alone, would have definitely done the job.

“That’s it sweetheart,” Zack drawls, drawing his head back so he’s resting his cheek against Cloud’s straining thigh, fingers still continuing their enviable task while his tongue works on other avenues of pushing Cloud closer and closer to the edge of desperation Zack very much loves to keep him at. “Wanna keep hearing those noises from you,” he teases Cloud’s rim with a third finger while he extricates himself from between his legs, slipping his hands free just long enough to crawl up to the head of the bed and fumble around inside of the nightstand for their lube and a condom.

“You’re shameless,” Cloud breathes, his hands dropping from the headboard to rub at his eyes and grip lightly at his hair. “You gonna keep me waiting or are you gonna make good on your promise?” Zack feels a little thrill at the little bit of force behind Cloud’s words; the strong and _demanding_ quality he rarely if ever exhibits outside of a combat setting, and always on accident.

“Someone’s pushy today,” Zack teases, dropping the bottle and square of foil onto the bed beside them. He feels Cloud tense a little with shy uncertainty where his knee’s resting against his side and Zack is quick to duck down to kiss him. “I like it. You oughta order me around more often,” he purrs and Cloud’s body relaxes again, stroking over Zack’s shoulders while they kiss languidly before his hand slips around to Zack’s chest and pushes him with just enough force to make him sit up on his haunches.

“If that’s the case- get back to what you were doing,” his tone is a mask of assertiveness, a fumbled attempt to hide the awkwardness he must feel at intentionally being an even slightly dominant presence in bed. It doesn’t happen often- only in those moments after a shit job or a particularly rough nightmare that makes Cloud desperate for something he can’t communicate with words but is more than willing to take control to express with his body- but its something that brings a bloom of warmth into Zack’s chest at the prospect of getting time enough for Cloud to explore that more with him.

“Yes sir,” Zack does a clumsy salute to which Cloud sticks his tongue out and Zack can’t help the unattractive snort of laughter.

“Dork.”

“You love it,” Zack smirks as he settles himself between Cloud’s legs again, enjoying the way they wrap around his hips without a thought.

“I love _you_ ,” Cloud mutters like a correction and Zack’s playful smirk shifts into a warm, earnest smile.

“Love you too, Cloud,” he leans over just enough to press a quick, firm kiss to Cloud’s forehead, then his lips before returning to his task.

Cloud’s quick to relax under Zack’s attention as he fingers him, stretching him open and splaying his free hand over Cloud’s belly, keeping him pinned to the bed. Eventually, Zack’s fingers are no longer practical in their task, changing to a slow and maddening drag over the sensitive flesh around his prostate that has Cloud choking out curses and pleas for Zack to move on already.

“Anything for you,” Zack’s fingers press in deeply one last time to get a startled moan out of his boyfriend before he reaches for the condom, just for Cloud’s hand to grasp his, stopping him. “Cloud?” Zack ventures, looking to Cloud’s face and seeing him stare up at the ceiling, entirely unable to meet Zack’s eyes, but even knowing he was looking at him was too much apparently, as he covered his eyes with his forearm.

“If-…If you want-…We could-“ Cloud mumbles and it takes Zack a few very long seconds for it to dawn on him.

“Do _you_ want?”

Cloud hesitates a moment but nods shyly all the same, fingers tensing around Zack’s hand while his face is still half-obscured.

“The whole time or do you want me to pull out?”

Cloud squirms at the phrase, letting out a huff.

“Do you- do you have to say it like that?” He chides but its not quite as effective as his normal scolding when his face is bright red, his voice shaky, and his cock hard and leaking against his stomach.

“Gotta get a straight answer, sweetheart. Jus’ wanna know what you want. Don’t wanna overstep,” he says gently, stroking a lube-slick hand over Cloud’s thigh soothingly.

“I want-...Wanna feel-“ Cloud lets out a frustrated huff and a grunt, softly thumping himself in the forehead with his arm a few times while he collects himself. A long exhale and then, delivered with as much delicacy as a stumbling behemoth- “I want you to come in me.”

Zack swears his heart stops for a long moment before restarting like a kick to the chest and he lets out a rough sounding groan.

“Is that okay?” Cloud asks growing self-conscious, and Zack has just enough patience to not be overly rough removing Cloud’s arm from where it hides his face before he presses him against the bedding with a _filthy_ kiss, hands straining to get them close enough, _nothing’s close enough right now_ and Cloud lets out a surprised noise into the kiss before surrendering to it and holding Zack just as tightly.

“You’re _dangerous_ ,” Zack growls into each kiss- “You can’t just _say that_ , sunshine. Fuck the _thought alone_ \- are you sure? You can change your mind whenever, promise, its not like- its not locked in- if you don’t like it or you-“

“Zack,” Cloud cuts Zack’s stammering off with a gentle tug on his hair. He looks up at Zack with certainty. “I’m sure. Can you please…” he curls his leg around Zack’s hips and grinds up against him, the fabric of Zack’s- _still present why is he still wearing them-_ cargo pants keeps him from feeling the sinful warmth of Cloud’s body against his cock and Zack is quick to nod and scramble further down the bed to get his pants off. ‘Scramble’ being the operative word as he loses his balance while trying to keep close to Cloud and disrobe at the same time and ends up toppling off the bed. “Zack?!”

“I’m good!” A strained grunt and its only a second or two before he throws his pants aside and reappears, climbing back onto the bed and smothering Cloud in kisses, “I’m good, I’m- _gods I’m so good_ , I must’ve been a fucking _saint_ in a past life to deserve you,” he mutters and allows himself one more self-indulgent look at Cloud’s blushing face with a face-splitting grin on his own. “Okay. Yeah. Okay-“

“Zack-“

“Yep, sorry, sweetheart,” he gives him one more thorough kiss, hitching Cloud’s legs up around his waist, grinding his newly freed cock against the slick skin of his ass, teasing the head over Cloud’s hole with each pass until Cloud’s pleases gasps take on a frustrated quality.

“ _Please, Zack_ ,” Cloud says from between clenched teeth, hips rolling into Zack’s to try and catch him on the up thrust, to drag him in and Zack is tempted to just let him but he is enjoying this bare-skinned teasing far too much.

“I know, I know, just-“ he cuts himself off with another kiss, giving himself one more fruitless thrust before he catches on the rim of Cloud’s hole and presses in, shuddering at the heat and wet and the pressure of Cloud clenching around him, legs crushing their hips together and nails digging into his shoulder blades as the younger man lets out a choked, ragged moan. “ _Fucking perfect_ , Cloud, everything about you-“

“… _don’t stop_ ,” Cloud smothers the words into the curve of Zack’s shoulder but he hears them just fine and can’t help the jerk of his hips and the way the request fans at the flames in his gut.

“Haven’t started yet, sweetheart.”

“Not the-…” Cloud strains to keep Zack in place as the man tries to pull back to look him in the eye and Zack stays where he is, pulling out half-way and rocking back into him lazily while Cloud finds his words. “ _Don’t stop saying…those things_ ,” he rasps and Zack can tell its with no small amount of mortification at asking this of him but it’s a crack in the steel-wall that is Cloud’s refusal to accept praise and Zack is perfectly happy to take advantage of that.

“Oh I could never stop. Where do you want me to start? You want me to talk about your legs?” He strokes one hand up and down the length of Cloud’s thigh, lingering over his ass and teasing at his stretched rim with his fingertips, a featherlight touch but one that has Cloud writing beneath him. “Or your hands. Fuck do I love ‘em both. Or maybe your freckles,” he muses grinding his cock into Cloud at its deepest as he cups the back of his head with his free hand and angles it just enough to press his lips to the smattering of brown across Cloud’s cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

“Or do you want more about how amazing you feel around me. ‘Perfect’ doesn’t begin to describe it-“ he hears the gasp against his hair when he thrusts in sharply and repeats it, restraining himself just enough to keep from ending this too quickly. He wants Cloud’s orgasm to be _devastating_. “And then you tell me you want me to come in you? You want to feel it fill you up? How long’ve you been thinking about that, sweet thing?”

“Too fucking long,” Cloud gasps, back arching so he presses in closer to the line of Zack’s body.

“You only had to ask. I’d’ve done it in a heart beat,” Zack purrs, ramping up the intensity of his thrusts so every breath is a ragged gasp from Cloud, slipping a hand between them to stroke at his neglected cock before he whispers in his ear- “I’d do anything for you, sunshine.”

Cloud lets out a choked shout and Zack feels warmth spread between them and the vice like clench of Cloud around him and it takes a moment to register what happened.

“I didn’t- _fuck_ I didn’t mean- not so soon,“ Cloud apologises until Zack cuts him off with a desperate, consuming kiss.

“So goddamn hot. Love feeling you come apart like that,” he praises, keeping a firm hold of Cloud’s slowly softening length, milking the orgasms for everything its worth. “Still want me to come in you? Want me to fuck you until I do or are you too sensitive?” Zack asks and Cloud nods frantically, cock giving a valiant twitch at the question. “Which one, Cloud?”

“The- _ah_ the first one.”

“Can you say it for me, Cloud?” Zack urges, his voice low and harsh against the quiet air surrounding them. “If you can’t that’s okay. I just wanna hear it from you,” he almost keens at the thought. Cloud’s dirty talk was rare but destructive to Zack’s ability to think at all.

“Fuck-… _Fuck me ‘til you come, Zack_ ,” Cloud breathes, tightening his legs around Zack’s hips and pulling him in, “please.”

Zack barely registers as he adjusts their position, sitting up and pulling Cloud half into his lap, hunched over him like an animal crowding over a kill and he feels that sense of solidarity with the animal at that point- a desperate need to keep everything else away from what they have and Zack thinks for a brief moment that if anyone were to try to take Cloud from him at that very moment he would tear them to pieces without a second thought.

He’s thrusting into Cloud’s lube-slick hole with abandon, the heat in his belly growing more and more intense with every gasp and cry from his lover, with every desperate bit of praise he utters and with every slap of his hips against Cloud’s ass as he bottoms out.

“Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ ,” Zack groans, his rhythm stuttering until he buries himself into Cloud and finds his release, and its like a switch is hit in the younger man, the way he writhes and cries out like he’s coming all over again, cock not spilling but twitching between them all the same, hole clenching tight and _fuck,_ is _Cloud coming again?_ Zack thinks blearily through his mindless grinding into Cloud to satisfy that need for _more, deeper, harder_ even as he starts to come down from the high of his orgasm. Once the haze starts to fade, he can feel the little tremors through Cloud’s body and hear the whine that flickers in and out of each gasp.

“Overdid it, didn’t I? I’m sorry, sweetheart, you okay?” Zack whispers, stroking Cloud’s hair and sides and goes to pull out but a sharp noise from the blonde and the jerk of his ankles against Zack’s calves keeps him firmly seated. “’S okay. You’re okay. I got you,” he soothes, adjusting them just enough to blanket Cloud’s body with his own.

“Like this, yeah?” Zack murmurs into Cloud’s hair, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders release when Cloud nods firmly against his shoulder. “Too much?” A shake. “Jus’ a lot?” A nod and Zack lets out a hum of acknowledgment, letting himself settle while he drags his fingers up and down Cloud’s body, from the curve of his knee up until the jut of his shoulder blade. “Tell me when you want me to move, ‘kay?”

Cloud clings tighter and Zack lets out a small huff of fond amusement.

“Not goin’ anywhere, sunshine,” he swears against the mass of blonde hair he buries his face into while Cloud comes down.


End file.
